Similarities occur in recent research on the reactions of schools in England and New South Wales to the imposed political reforms embodies in the Education Reform Act (England) and the Education reform Act No. 8 (New South Wales). Theoretical and methodological touchstone is evident in the common strategies and commensurate epistemic stance of both projects. The conclusions drawn reflect a common assessment of policy as interpreted, contextualised and transformed by the practitioners, what the Hunter project depicts as culturally-defined problem solving which reflects a process of principled pragmatism.